Winston Churchill, CEO: 25 Lessons for Bold Business Leaders

By Alan Axelrod

Book Overview

Following his BusinessWeek bestsellers Elizabeth I, CE O and Patton on Leadership comes a new and perfect subject for Alan Axelrod's innovative format: Winston Churchill, the quintessential leader of the 20th century. Churchill skillfully converted crisis into victory, making the boldest of visions seem attainab= even though he sometimes failed audaciously, he embraced his errors and used them to become stronger. Axelrod looks at this much-studied figure in a way nobody has before: he explores 25 key facets of Churchill's leadership style and decision-making from his early years as a junior cavalry officer and journalist to his role throughout WWII and demonstrates how he was able to overcome near-impossible obstacles. Fluidly and engagingly written, each lesson is enlivened with a vivid vignette from Churchill's life. As always, Axelrod's penetrating analysis will instruct, inspire, and encourage those who lead business enterprises, large and small.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1402758057
• ISBN13: 9781402758058
• Release Date: May 2009
• Publisher: Union Square & Co.
• Length: 276 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.3" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

Perhaps the Greatest Leader of the 20th Century

I have always been a fan of Sir Winston Churchill who I consider to have been perhaps the greatest leader of the 20th century. His life from his privileged childhood and his tortured relationship with his father to his exile from government following WWI and his ultimate return as Prime Minister is a fascinating story. It is not an understatement to say that his leadership may well have saved western civilization from the grip of the Nazis. Alan Axelrod's well-written book presents a biography of Churchill structured around 25 key leadership lessons gleaned from his life. Following a brief introduction the author divides the book into 25 chapters illustrating the following leadership lessons: 1. Always Savor the Thrill 2: Engage the Realities 3. Define Your Destiny 4. Fail and Learn 5. The Job: Do It 6. See for Yourself 7. Be Just 8. Draw a Line 9. Never Wear Another Man's Hat 10. Speak Truth to Power 11. Navigate by Your Own Compass 12. Reject the Tyrant's Bargain 13. Accept Uncertainty 14. Offer the Privilege of Sacrifice 15. Make Good Use of Adversity 16. Put Threats in Their Place 17. Put the Highest Value on Rock Bottom 18. Practice the Craft of Conscience 19. Defy Them 20. Greet Hardship as Opportunity 21. Provide Perspective, Create Priorities 22. Be Indomitable 23. Gather Good Partners 24. Suit the Tune to the Time and the Place 25. Win Each chapter is an episode from Churchill's life that illustrates the principle theme of the chapter. The key lessons are summarized in "sidebars" in each chapter. Because Churchill's life is so rich in "teachable moments" there is no shortage of material and Mr. Axelrod does a masterful job of extracting the most valuable lessons. Serious students of leadership will find Winston Churchill CEO well-worth their time.